Japan protests as Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands
Japan issued a strong protest on Thursday following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup, an island within the disputed Kuril Islands chain claimed by both nations.
According to Russian state media, the visit represents Putin’s first in-person trip to the archipelago. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reiterated Tokyo’s position, stating that the islands are inherently Japanese territory under both historical context and international law.
The territorial row over the four southernmost islands, which Japan refers to as the Northern Territories and Russia calls the Southern Kurils, has prevented the two countries from signing a formal World War II peace treaty. The Soviet Union seized the chain in 1945 and subsequently expelled roughly 17,000 Japanese residents.
During his itinerary on Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu, Putin inspected a local fish-processing plant and sampled regional seafood following his observation of naval drills in Russia’s Far East.
The strategically located island also houses a primary Russian military air base. Bilateral relations between Moscow and Tokyo have grown increasingly strained in recent years, particularly following Japanese sanctions imposed over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
